It’s been more than 25 years that PDF files have been around, and they’re not going anywhere anytime soon. As PDFs are the most popular format for presentations and document sharing, they are heavily used in schools and offices. No wonder PDF readers are the most commonly used applications and part of every desktop and laptop.
If you are a student, busiSupposess professional, or just somebody who needs to interact with PDFs frequently, you can take advantage o. In that case, all these features by using a quality PDF reader. The rise in the popularity of the PDF format has led to an increase in demand for PDF readers.
Today, we are going to discuss the best free PDF readers for Windows and macOS.
Today there are many PDF readers for both Mac and Windows. Some of them are free, while others require a subscription. The features they offer are also very different. So it can be confusing to decide which one you should use.
Here, we have compiled a list of the best free PDF readers that offer all the features you need and more. To help you choose the best PDF reader, we have listed them in two sections. The first section contains the best free PDF readers for Macs. The second section contains the best free PDFincludes for Windows.
Note that many of the PDF readers listed work on both platforms, but their features may vary slightly. Finally, you’ll find my personal favorite PDF reader at the end. Without further ado, let us get started with the list!
These are the best free pdf readers for macOS.
Not surprisingly, Adobe Acrobat Reader is our first choice for Mac and Windows because it’s free, widely compatible with other software, and offers all the features you want in a PDF reader. Not only is it great for studying PDFs, but it’s also extremely powerful when it comes to editing, printing, and commenting on PDFs.
With this free software, you can not only open and view PDFs but also edit them, sign them, fill out forms, protect them and highlight important information. Adobe Reader is indispensable for anyone who needs to work with PDFs on a regular basis.
If you work with PDFs frequently for your job, consider downloading PDF Reader Premium. With over 50 million downloads, it is one of the most widely used PDF readers for Apple devices.
It lets you view your PDFs in multiple tabs at once, add image-based annotations and sticky notes to them, organize files using tags, add signatures to form fields within saved PDFs, and transfer PDFs via various cloud services.
It’s a good choice for anyone who wants to do more with their PDFs than just read them.
If you’re looking for a simple PDF reader that comes pre-installed on every Mac, then you should use Preview. While it doesn’t offer as many features as some of the other PDF readers on this list, it’s still a good choice for quickly viewing or printing PDFs.
Preview lets you open PDFs, view multiple pages at once, fill out forms, and add annotations. You can also reduce the file size of a PDF, split it into multiple PDFs, or combine multiple PDFs into one.
It’s a good choice for those who don’t need advanced features and just want a program to open quickly.
Related: How to Combine PDFs on Mac using Preview or Third-party PDF Utilities
Skim is a free and open-source PDF editor that allows you to read not only scientific articles in PDF format but also eBooks. Its most useful features include full-screen mode, the ability to export notes as text, compatibility with Spotlight for searching text directly from the program, and the ability to add and update notes. Skim also allows displaying highlights and using built-in transitions when viewing a PDF file.
The program was originally developed for academic use, so it’s a good choice if you need to read and annotate scientific papers. However, its features make it useful for anyone who needs to read PDFs.
Soda PDF is a great program for viewing detailed documents like online comics, magazines, and catalogs. You can even edit and create new PDFs from scratch!
Soda PDF is a great way to manage your PDFs on the Mac. With the built-in software, you can easily convert files and add freehand writing, text boxes, sticky notes, hyperlinks, and annotations.
By providing free PDF tools on its websites, such as converters, splitters, and compressors, as well as document signers and security features, Soda PDF creates not only demand for its online PDF platform but also sales. If you want to free up some space on your computer’s hard drive, you can use these online tools instead of a downloadable PDF reader.
It is a versatile PDF management tool that allows you to view, edit, convert and annotate PDF files. It can be downloaded directly from the Mac App Store. Kdan PDF Reader is one of the most powerful and popular PDF management tools for Apple computers.
The software facilitates PDF editing by adding freehand writing, text boxes, sticky notes, hyperlinks, and annotations. You can tag and color code important documents so they do not get mixed up. And with the Import History feature, you can keep track of all your saved files.
Kdan PDF Reader is a good choice for anyone who wants to do more with their PDFs than just read them.
These are the best free pdf readers for windows.
Nitro Reader is a widely used productivity and office software program. We prefer this free PDF document reader because it offers a perfect balance between ease of use and features rather than being cluttered with unused add-ons. Besides, its sleek interface looks like other Microsoft Office applications.
Nitro Reader is not like other PDF readers. Not only does it have all the basic features, but it also has QuickSign – a feature that makes digitally signing documents as quick and easy as can be. Moreover, you have the option to secure your documents so that they can only be opened by those who have received a digital certificate from you. Thus, if you are looking for a PDF reader for Windows that is effective and has an attractive UI, choose Nitro Reader.
PDF-XChange Editor is a PDF reader for Windows 10 that has been redesigned and shortened. It opens quickly and provides a basic experience for tasks like reading, printing, annotating, and saving images as text from a PDF file.
Before this software was named PDF-XChange Viewer, the only editing feature available for free was very basic. You also get features like OCR and digital signature with this program. Although it has many useful features, some people might feel that the UI is too cluttered because there are so many options. Maybe a redesign in the future could solve this problem.
The free version of PDF-XChange Editor provides over 60% of the features available in the paid version.
Foxit Reader is not only a PDF reader, but you can also create, edit and annotate PDF files. It’s also compatible with multiple platforms and has plugins for Microsoft Office products. Thus, it is an incredibly versatile tool that anyone who frequently deals with PDFs should have at hand.
This program is a collection of tools that will let you create, verify, sign, modify and print PDF files. It is free to use, but the premium version offers you some additional benefits. The free version covers all the essentials unless you need special functions.
MuPDF is a free and open-source software framework written in C that implements a PDF, XPS, and EPUB parsing and rendering engine. It is mainly used to render pages in bitmaps but can also be used for other functions such as search, table of contents listing, and hyperlinks.
It is a standalone program and does not require any external dependencies such as a web browser or PDF reader. It also lets you convert PDF files to other formats, such as HTML, SVG, and CBZ.
Sumatra PDF is a good choice for studying PDFs if you don’t need advanced features like annotations, document signatures, and form filling. Sumatra offers numerous viewing modes, such as single page, book mode, presentation mode, and keyboard shortcuts that make navigating any PDF file easy.
You can use it to read multiple file formats such as PDF, CHM, DjVu, XPS, ePub, MOBI, CBZ, and CBR. Sumatra also offers a plugin for Firefox that lets you open PDFs directly in the browser.
Slim PDF is one of the smallest PDF readers available, taking up only 15 MB of space on your PC. Despite its small size, this free PDF reader has many advanced features, such as printing, searching, zooming, and rotating PDF files.
For PC users, this PDF reader is easy to use and has been recently updated with a dark mode option and a new design UI. With this free software, you can focus only on reading, viewing, and printing your PDF files.
Despite its size and lack of features, it loads quickly and doesn’t take up much space on your computer. Besides, it lacks common keyboard shortcuts, so you’ll have to get used to navigating if you switch from another PDF reader.
If you have Windows 10 or higher, then you already have Microsoft Edge as your default browser and default PDF reader. In our opinion, it is a powerful software because it includes both a browser and a PDF reader. It opens PDF files really fast and without delay.
The website UI is also very clear and user-friendly. I have been using it for a long time and I am very satisfied with it. Although it does not offer extensive features, it is still able to handle all your PDF needs, such as reading, printing, and signing. It is an easy-to-use PDF reader that comes pre-installed with important features like searching documents, zooming, and bookmarking.
One of the best things about Microsoft Edge is that it can open PDFs in separate tabs, so you can easily switch between them while working on other tabs. Microsoft Edge is our personal favorite PDF reader, and we would recommend it to anyone.
We looked at 12 different PDF readers that are available for free. They all have their own unique features, but my personal favorite is the Microsoft Edge browser. It comes pre-installed on Windows 10 and has a clean and user-friendly UI.
If you are looking for advanced features, you should use Nitro Reader or PDF XChange Editor. However, if you are just looking for a simple PDF reader that is lightweight and fast, then Slim PDF or Sumatra PDF are good choices.
Do you have a favorite PDF reader that is not on this list? Let us know in the comments below.
Downloading a PDF reader is the first step to studying PDF files with Windows 10. Microsoft Edge, the default program, can open PDFs but offers only a few features. A reader designed specifically for viewing PDFs is the best option. You can get many PDF readers online for free, including Adobe Acrobat.
The Office 365 component Microsoft Word is a PDF editor that you can use to edit PDF files. You don't need to buy or set up any other extensions. In Office 365, Word acts as a PDF editor that you can use to edit PDF files.
Adobe Reader is the most popular PDF reader, but many users find it sluggish. An alternative is Foxit Reader, which is faster and offers more features. However, there are many other PDF readers out there, and which one is best for you depends on your specific needs. Try a few different ones to see which one you prefer.
Foxit's annual plans are cheaper than Adobe's. For example, Foxit PhantomPDF (or Foxit PDF Reader) annual plan costs $79.99, while Adobe Acrobat Pro is available for $179.88 and Adobe Acrobat Standard for $159.99 per year.
Adobe Reader offers more features than Foxit, such as the ability to annotate PDF files and fill out PDF forms. However, Foxit is a lighter program that could be faster and easier to use. For users who only need basic PDF viewing capabilities, Foxit might be the less expensive choice.
There are several free alternatives to Adobe Reader. And the best Adobe Reader alternative is SumatraPDF which is both free and open source. Other popular free alternatives to Adobe Reader include Foxit Reader, SlimPDF, MuPDF and more.
Yes, the Foxit PDF reader is free to get and use, but some of the features are locked behind the paywall, making it a freemium service. But most of the basic PDF studying features are free to use, making it one of the popular alternatives to Adobe Reader.
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© Marinel Sigue/SlashGear microsoft word ebook
Electronic books or "eBooks" are slowly becoming a staple on every reader's device. In fact, Pew Research reports that American eBook readers have increased from 25% in 2019 to 30% in 2021. This is a noticeable change considering the number of print book and audiobook users stayed the same during that period.
The rise in popularity of eBooks is no surprise as it's one of the easiest ways to distribute information across the internet. Companies use eBooks for giving away free resources and case studies, while fiction writers use eBooks as a companion for their printed tomes. It doesn't end there, because you can also convert your academic and personal written works like essays and portfolios to eBooks for portability.
Another factor for eBooks' popularity might be how easy it is to make one. All it really takes is some knowledge of a word processor app, and you're halfway done. If you're thinking about making your own eBook using Microsoft Word, we have you covered with this step-by-step guide.
© Marinel Sigue/SlashGear microsoft word document columns
The first step to creating an eBook on Microsoft Word is to format the document before you start typing anything. This way, it will be uniform all throughout and rid you of any formatting issues at the end. There are different layouts you can use depending on your preference and topic. You can go with a portrait one like a typical document, or you can try a landscape style with two columns like a book.
If you prefer the typical portrait style, here's what you need to do (Microsoft):
If you like the two-column landscape style, follow these steps to make one (Microsoft):
© Fizkes/Getty Images woman typing document
Once you're happy with how your layout looks, it's time to start writing your eBook content. However, before you even type that first word, you need to nail down your topic. What would your eBook be about? If you're having a hard time figuring it out, you can start by identifying your target audience. List what they like studying about, and from that list, pick a subject to focus on. Whatever subject you choose, though, make sure that you know enough about it, so you can write accurately and generate a long enough eBook.
After subject selection, create an outline. Grammarly enumerates five steps to writing an outline:
When you finish your outline, you can start writing it in your Word document. Then, you can make the subtopics into headings so it's easier to make a Table of Contents later on. To do so, simply highlight the text and select a heading style from the Style section in the Home tab (via Microsoft).
© Marinel Sigue/SlashGear microsoft word cover page
You now have the content for your eBook. The next step is to add a cover page. There are available cover page templates in Word. You can find them by going to the Insert tab and clicking on the "Cover Page" button in the "Pages" section (via Microsoft). Choose one from the options and change the relevant texts, including your eBook title, year of eBook release, and author name. You can also add other details here, such as copyright or disclaimers.
If you chose a cover page with a photo, feel free to replace it with something more appropriate to your topic. Here's how to do so (via Microsoft):
© Marinel Sigue/SlashGear microsoft word table of contents
If you're writing about a non-fiction topic, it's best to include a "Table of Contents" in your eBook so your readers can easily get a glimpse of what subtopics you've covered. Ideally, you should add this right after the cover page or anywhere in the beginning as long as it's placed before your main content.
You can choose from two types of Table of Contents in Word. The first one, and the easiest to use, is the Automatic table. As its name implies, it scans your document for headings and automatically creates a table out of them. This is why it's important that while typing your document, you already made the subtopics into headings. The second type of Table of Contents is the Manual table. Here, you will manually type the subtopics, giving you more freedom.
To add a Table of Contents to your eBook, follow these steps (via Microsoft):
© Marinel Sigue/SlashGear microsoft word author page
After the last page of your main content, you should add an "About the Author" page. This is where you include fun things about yourself, your career highlights, and even other eBooks you've written in the past. It's also a good idea to mention your social media links and website, so your readers can find you online easily.
When writing your author content, Rocket Expansion suggests using a tone that matches your brand. It could be witty, formal, fun, or anything else that reflects your eBook subject and previous work. For instance, if you're writing about the stock market, you should use a formal tone. If you're a fiction writer, use a witty and fun tone instead.
You might also want to add a picture to your author page. To do that in Microsoft Word, here are the steps to follow (via Microsoft):
© Marinel Sigue/SlashGear microsoft word design themes
Now that your eBook pages are complete, it's time to take a final look at your work and add other formatting details to make it more presentable. Start by inserting page numbers. Here's how to do so (via Microsoft):
You can also add your eBook title as a header for every page. To achieve this, all you have to do is select Header in the Insert tab (via Microsoft). Then, choose a style from the menu. It will automatically apply to your entire document.
If you're not happy with the color scheme and font style of your document, you can try changing the theme, too. You can find this in the Design tab (via Microsoft). Click on "Themes" on the far-left side of the ribbon and choose your preference. This will change the colors and font of your eBook. Scroll through the document one last time before hitting Save.
© Marinel Sigue/SlashGear microsoft word save as pdf
After finalizing your eBook and checking that everything is how you want it, you can convert the document to a PDF. This is one of the most common types of eBook formats you can find on the internet and one of the easiest for your readers to open on any device. PDFs can be read on mobile devices and computers by downloading a PDF reader app. You can also send PDFs to your Amazon Kindle.
To convert your Word document to PDF, here's what you need to do (via Microsoft):
Navigate to the folder where you saved the file and try opening it. provide the eBook one last look before uploading it to your website or distributing it to your readers via email or social media.
Read this next: The 20 Best Mac Apps That Will Strengthen Your Apple Experience
The best Microsoft Office alternatives provide a simple way to use office software without needing a subscription.
Microsoft Office remains the most popular productivity suite for documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and more - whether as a get software package, or as the cloud-based Microsoft 365 suite - through powerful apps such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access, Outlook, and more.
However, a range of alternative competitors have become increasingly attractive, not least because of more price-competitive licensing fees, and some are free to use. However, paying less, or nothing, doesn't necessarily mean that the software is of lower quality, as the open source community can testify.
Yet there can be issues with sharing documents between different office suite platforms, which can be a real concern. This is why when choosing an alternative to Microsoft Office, you need to be certain of any shortfalls that might limit your use of the software, especially if you need to share or collaborative on documents with other users who have one or more different office suites.
If you're using the office alternative as a standalone piece of software there shouldn't be any such issues, but it is something to be mindful about if you end up changing to a different software suite.
That said, the best in the Microsoft Office alternatives are generally strong programs with full functionality, and little problem sharing files with other platforms, though few come close to the full functionality of Microsoft 365 with its cloud service bundle that includes OneDrive and Microsoft Teams.
We compared the Microsoft office alternatives across various aspects, like the pricing models, the platforms they supported, the interface and performance, and the number of tools they came with. We also assessed their collaboration capabilities and the file formats they could run, among other aspects.
Here we'll show the best of them, along with their strengths and weaknesses.
We've also featured the best free office software.
Why you can trust TechRadar Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
LibreOffice is the offspring of The Document Foundation and split from OpenOffice in 2010. The suite itself is free and open source, and is made up of a word processor, spreadsheet and presentation software, and is available in 110 languages.
While LibreOffice uses the ODF (OpenDocument) format it still supports a range of other format types such as those used in Microsoft Office. LibreOffice is the default suite for most Linux distros and it is also available for use on Windows and macOS. There's also a LibreOffice viewer for Android.
As with most open source software all your technical support comes from online, but seeing how easy this is to use, support will be rarely needed. The platform also offers the option to export your files into PDF format amongst others.
You can add extra features to LibreOffice via extensions from its website. These include extra templates for documents.
Read our full LibreOffice review.
If you are looking for a free and easy alternative to Microsoft Office, then FreeOffice is the suite for you. The company, SoftMaker, has been developing office software since 1987 and its office suite is their flagship product.
FreeOffice is a complete office suite that is free to use for both home and in the workplace. It is developed for both Windows and Linux, and offers a basic version for Android users.
The suite itself is fully compatible with all Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint formats. This means that you can not only view but save files in formats such as DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX. It also supports older file types such as PPT and XLS.
The new interface that was launched this year gives you the option of either working with modern or classic menus and toolbars. This makes switching from Microsoft Office easy to do as the interface is eerily similar.
For those users who have the luxury of a touchscreen PC you can use touch mode with larger icons. This mode is available for both the newer version look and the classic menu-based interface.
Read our full FreeOffice review.
WPS Office was released in 2016 by Chinese software developer Kingsoft. It is an office suite that is available for Windows, Linux, Android and iOS. The suite is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish and Russian.
It offers a free and a premium tier. The free tier allows you to use Writer, Presentation and Spreadsheets, which are alternatives to the Microsoft Office suite which it also resembles closely. WPS offers a PDF to Word converter which is fast and easy to use. It supports bulk exportation and can also split-merge PDF files if needed.
The suite offers 1GB of free cloud storage for iOS and PC users, but this service is not yet available for Android.
The 'Premium' tier allows the user to connect up 9 devices at once. It also gets rids of all those annoying adverts that are commonplace on the free tier. The cost is around $30 / £23 / AU$45 per year.
WPS has been criticized for not allowing collaboration beyond those that track changes and allow users to insert comments. Users have also said that the interface can be quite slow at times when it comes to loading documents. Linux users have mentioned that not all fonts are automatically included and that they have to be installed separately.
For Android users installation is quite large and criticism has been levelled imploring the developer to make it more lightweight.
Read our full WPS Office review.
Calligra Office suite was initially released in October 2000 as part of KOffice. It is an office suite developed by KDE as well as being suitable to use for graphic art design. It is available on Linux, macOS, Windows and Android.
Calligra is a free and open source software suite and can be downloaded directly from its own website or from KDE's downloads page. It is completely distinct from LibreOffice.
While LibreOffice has the familiar look and feel of MS Office, Calligra does not. A lot of the useable features tabs are set on the right-hand side of the screen and not on the top like MS Office and other office suites. This means that the page you are currently editing does not take up the full screen.
One of the extra features that makes Calligra stand out is that it offers a mind-mapping and project managing tool. Usually these cost extra.
Calligra allows you to read DOCX and DOX formats but you cannot edit them. This can cause difficulties if your contacts send you Microsoft Office documents, so ask them to use a different format such as ODT (Open Document Text) instead.
OfficeSuite is an application that was developed by MobiSystems and is available for Android, iOS and Windows. Devices that are made by Amazon, Toshiba, Sony and Alcatel often come with OfficeSuite pre-installed. The Android app has been named among the top applications for business.
You can synchronize between devices using your OfficeSuite account and only one license is needed for all your devices.
It has several tiers to choose from. The 'Basic' tier is free and allows users to view and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents. The suite has full compatibility with most formats such as ODT, RTF, CSV, DOC, and ZIP. The free tier also enables users to view PDF documents and offers cloud support via services like Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Drive.
The 'Personal' tier enables the suite on one desktop, one tablet and one phone. It has all the free tier has to offer along with the ability to track changes, export PDF's to other editable formats and advanced PDF features such as digital signatures and passwords. This costs around $40 / £30 / AU$60 per year.
A Home & Business version is available as a one-time fee get for around $100 / £75 / AU$150.
Read our full OfficeSuite review.
Polaris Office is developed by Intraware and was initially released in March 2014. It is a free office suite that is available for Android, iOS, Windows and macOS. It appears to be a popular suite amongst businesses and is used by the likes of Amazon and Samsung.
While the free version is very generous there is a business version to which you can upgrade. Their cheapest plan is the Polaris Office Smart which you can use on any of your devices for about $40 / £35 /AU$60 per year. Alternatively you can purchase a lifetime fee limited to one PC at around $80 / £70 / AU$120.
With this powerful suite you can edit many different file formats including PPT, XLS, DOCX and HWP. As your account synchronizes amongst your devices you will be able to edit and create from wherever you are. All your data is secured by AWS (Amazon Web Services).
With the latest edition of Polaris you can now convert and edit PDF documents. Users can also convert voice and image files to documents if the need arises.
The suite supports several different languages such as French, German, Korean, English and Russian.
The only real criticism there is of Polaris is that while the free edition offers a huge range of features the ads can be a little distracting at times.
Read our full Polaris Office review.
OnlyOffice is an open source office suite developed by Ascensio Systems SIA. It is available in over 22 languages and boasts of Oracle being one of their leading clients.
The completely free version, known as the 'Community Edition' is most suited for small business and allows up to 20 connections at once. This suite does not just offer the usual features such as word processing or spreadsheets but is very useful in relation to order fulfilment and for documenting sales.
The handy calendar feature allows user to keep up to date with personal and work-related tasks as well as keeping an eye on deadlines. Third party integration is also supported. You can create your own Mailboxes with the 'Mail' tool.
As with other office suites there is the ability to create and edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Users can collaborate on projects and make comments in files where necessary.
Read our full OnlyOffice review.
WordPerfect has had a number of owners over the years since it was developed in the late 1970s. Fast forward to 1996, it was purchased by Corel who, back then wanted to build a business capable of competing with Microsoft and Adobe. WordPerfect was most popular in the 80's where it was known for its DOS and Microsoft Windows versions. It was soon eclipsed by Microsoft Office upon its release.
It is an all-in-one office suite. It offers its own word processor, spreadsheet program and a slideshow creator. The latest version now includes improved photo-editing and management. WordPerfect offer a free trial version which you can get from the main site.
Like other suites it can save to many different formats such as DOCX, PDF and HTML. The common file extensions for WordPerfect files is WPD. It also offers ebooks publishing and macro management.
The PDF feature gives users the ability to edit and fill in forms via PDF, as well as change the form's appearance e.g. font/color. WordPerfect supports opening multiple documents at one time.
While WordPerfect is a perfectly reasonable program, and many early Windows adopters may remember it fondly, the pricing just isn't very competitive when compared to the rest of the market.
Read our full WordPerfect review.
While Google Docs is, thanks to the strength of its brand, probably more widely used, Zoho Workplace is very good in its own right. It's certainly closer to a desktop office package, and it's strong enough to have attracted businesses like the BBC and Nike as regular users.
Zoho's new-look word processor (which ditches the classic Word-style interface in favour of a formatting sidebar) is very well-presented and capable of producing professional-looking docs, and it has a sterling spreadsheet and reasonable presentation package alongside it.
They're just the tip of the iceberg, however – Zoho Workplace includes a powerful site creation tool, a file management solution and many collaborative tools. Some are on the simplistic side, so they'll likely not replace anything you might already have in place, but if you're starting out as a small business Zoho is probably a good jumping-off point.
If you want to signup for the free version of Zoho Workplace you need to search the pricing page for the "Forever free" plan. However, there's no one-click set up or access, and instead you have to go through a sign up process that begins by providing details of an existing business domain.
Read our full Zoho Workplace review.
Google Workspace is another Microsoft Office alternative worth considering, as it's development by the internet behemoth Google specifically for collaborative and group work. The three key tools run happily in any web browser, and are available as mobile apps for Apple and Android devices.
Google's free office suite doesn't offer the advanced tools you'll find in Microsoft 365 or many rivals, but everything is laid out in a clear, logical way and all your files will be saved and synced automatically so you don't have to worry about transfers and backups.
The chief disadvantage of Workspace is that opening files created using other office software is a cumbersome process and file formatting isn't is always converted properly. This is partly because Google's office tools use web fonts rather than ones stored locally on your device, and partly because Microsoft documents sometimes contain features not supported by Google.
Additionally, there are some quirks with Google Docs that make it less user-friendly than other office software. As free software it does the job fine, but as a paid product it still lags behind the features and functionality of Microsoft Office.
Read our full Google workspace review.
Also check out our feature on the best free word processor.
When choosing the best Microsoft Office alternatives for yourself, consider your work requirements: how large is your team size, what operating systems do you use (Windows, macOS, or Linux), and is your work collaborative?
You'll then want to assess your budget. If you're on a tight budget, free options will be quite handy, but if you have a substantial budget, paid plans with advanced features could be more suitable
To test the best Microsoft Office alternatives, we first looked at the pricing plans: is the office suite free, freemium, or paid?
We considered what platforms the office suites ran on, whether they had a simple and appealing interface, how many apps they came with, and how smoothly they performed. Importantly, we looked at whether the Microsoft Office alternatives could open Microsoft file formats, like DOX and DOCX, and if there was an option to edit these files.
We also used the different suites to assess how easy the collaboration was with them and whether the tools could be run on web browsers, among other things.
PDF Voice Readers are handy for the users as they have the ability to read out texts into voices, and moreover, they can even read out the voice format files to the users. If you search on the Internet, you will find that there are several PDF Voice readers for Windows 10/8/7 so it can often be confusing to find the best PDF Voice Readers.
In this article, we will inform you about the top five free PDF Voice Readers for Windows 11/10 so that you don’t get confused while searching on the Internet. Go through the alternatives and select the best one according to your preferences.
Adobe Acrobat Reader is a top-class PDF Voice Reader, which is available at free of cost so you can easily get this software from the Internet. This is a very popular software hence you will find Adobe Acrobat Reader in most Computers.
The installation procedure of this software is straightforward, and it also has a user-friendly interface hence, it is very easy to operate Adobe Acrobat Reader even if you are using this software for the first time.
It supports various file formats like PDF, DOC, HTML, etc. which is one of the main advantages of this PDF Voice Reader. With the help of this software if you want to read a portion of a paragraph you need to go to the “View” option and then select the “Read Out Loud” option, which is present at the bottom of the list, or you can even press the shortcut CTRL+SHIFT+Y in order to listen to a portion of the passage. get Adobe Acrobat Reader from the homepage.
Read: Best Free PDF Editing software for Windows PC
Read Aloud is free software and is developed by Microsoft. This software has various amazing features out of which the primary feature is the conversion process of text to voice format. Read Aloud supports several formats like Word, Epub, TXT, DOCX, etc. other than PDF format. Moreover, this software can also handle webpages as well.
Just like Acrobat Reader, this software also has a straightforward interface so anyone can use this software irrespective of the fact whether he/she is experienced or not. This is highly customizable, and hence, you can easily control volume, speed, pitch rate, fonts, and color scheme.
Some other features of Read Aloud include a pronunciation editor through which you can change the way a word sounds, and it also contains an inbuilt dictionary and a clipboard manager, which helps to move text around and understand what they mean. get Read Aloud from Microsoft Store.
Power Talk to Speech Reader is a high-quality, user-friendly software that can store the voice file after converting the text file so that you can listen to the audio afterward, which is one of the main advantages of this PDF Voice Reader.
Another exciting feature of this software includes the fact that you can not only listen to the PDF files but also convert the text files into MP3 or WAV format and hence you can easily carry the MP3 or WAV format files in your Pen Drives. Power Talk to Speech Reader can be easily downloaded from the Internet as it is available free of cost.
Apart from Windows 11/10 machines, you can also use this Software on Windows 7 and Windows 8 machines with the help of a plug-in. Moreover, you can also use it to listen to long emails rather than studying the emails. It also comes with several voices to choose from so you can select the voice according to your choices. get Power Talk to Speech Reader from Sourceforge.
Acapelabox is not a Windows-based software, but it can be an appropriate alternative because you can easily access this online website from your Windows computer.
Similar to some of the above-mentioned PDF Voice Readers Acapelabox also has a straightforward beginner-friendly interface so you can easily work on this website irrespective of the fact whether you are an experienced user or a beginner.
One of the main advantages of using this online website is to translate text to voice. On this website, you will be able to directly copy and paste your text to listen to the audio. Another exciting fact about this tool is that it is completely ad-free.
Moreover, it also comes with free language options, and it is mainly helpful for those people who are looking for different accents as some foreign accents can be challenging to understand. Use Acapelabox here.
Balabolka is a Windows-based PDF Voice Reader, which utilizes Microsoft Speech API4 files to synthesize speech. Usually, Microsoft SAPI is bundled with Windows, but if it is not bundled, then it can be downloaded easily.
It is compatible with PDF, DOC, RTF, HTML, and several other file formats. However, for unsupported formats, you can still copy and paste the text directly on the Balabolka window. It can save the converted file in a variety of formats, including MP3, WAV, and WMA, etc.
This PDF Voice Reader is highly customizable as a result, you can change skins, and moreover, it also helps you to get more voices from the Internet. get Balabokla from the homepage.
As promised at the beginning of this article, we have listed the top 5 PDF Voice Readers for Windows. We have tried to cover all the essential features through these options.
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Microsoft has announced a new 'Communities' feature in its video conferencing software 'Teams' on Android and iOS to compete with Facebook groups.
'Communities' is a new experience that allows users to come together, connect, share and collaborate, the company said in a blogpost on Wednesday.
It allows users to easily post messages to everyone in the group, organise events and add them to the community calendar for everyone to see.
Users can share and store documents dedicated to group activity and can filter content to quickly access photos, videos, events and links.
LIC can be converted into composite insurer merging 4 PSU general insurers with itTo ensure that community members feel safe, community owners can manage settings, create community guidelines and monitor content by adding or removing participants and posts as necessary.
Communities in Teams also offer a new events experience for organising virtual, hybrid or in-person events.
For online events, users can easily add dial-in information and a link so that attendees can participate without any trouble.
Whereas, for the in-person events, users can enter a venue and provide participants with specific directions via a visual map.
Microsoft also announced that "in 2023, people can access SignUpGenius within Teams to recruit volunteers, coordinate events and manage a variety of sign ups."
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Germany's federal and state data protection authorities (DSK) have raised concerns about the compatibility of Microsoft 365 with data protection laws in Germany and the wider European Union.…
According to the German watchdog's report [PDF], which was written after two years of negotiations with Microsoft, the body says that the product "remains in breach" of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The 2020 working group was put together to bring the cloud service into line with the Schrems II decision of the European Court of Justice – and relates to ongoing European concerns about cloud data sovereignty, competition, and privacy rules.
Under the GDPR, children below the age of 13 are incapable of consenting to their data being collected, while consent may be given by those with parental responsibility for those under 16 but not younger than 13. When platforms do store data on adults, those customers are meant to be able to request the deletion of their records.
The report adds (translated from the German): "Many of the services included in Microsoft 365 require Microsoft to access the unencrypted, non-pseudonymized data."
Microsoft has denied that its assessment of Office – sorry, Microsoft 365 – is accurate, claiming in a statement [PDF, translated from German]:
In the background are alterations made by Microsoft to a "data protection addendum" in September 2022 that the DSK claimed contained a "conceptually changed section as a result of the discussions with the working group about data processing" of telemetry and diagnostic data. The DSK goes on to claim that only the wording had changed, noting: "However, according to Microsoft, it has not made any adjustments to the genuine processing," and that the US Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act (CLOUD Act) of 2018 and FISA 702 provided "disproportionate access rights for US secret services [providing]... no judicial legal protection for EU citizens."
The ruling said the "use of personal data of users (e.g. employees or students) for the provider's own purposes excludes the use of a processor in the public sector (especially in schools)." The watchdog went on to note the legal basis of "entitled interest" under article 6 of the GDPR was therefore not relevant.
When asked for further comment, a Microsoft spokesperson said: "Microsoft 365 products meet the highest industry standards for the protection of privacy and data security. We respectfully disagree with the concerns raised by the Datenschutzkonferenz and have already implemented many suggested changes to our data protection terms. We remain committed to working with the DSK to address any remaining concerns."
Matthias Pfau, founder of the encrypted email service Tutanota, opined of the ruling: "It is unbelievable that American online services continue to trample on the European GDPR more than four years after it was passed... Instead of relying on voluntary cooperation, much harsher consequences must be drawn here; for example, by using completely different systems. Linux with Open Office is a very good alternative to which schools and authorities should switch immediately."
Earlier this month, France's minister of national education and youth echoed these concerns, saying free versions of Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace should not be used in schools. ®
Stylus-equipped touchscreen E Ink digital notepads have been around for a while, but with the arrival of Amazon's Kindle Scribe, we're suddenly seeing a lot more interest in these types of devices. The 10.2-inch Scribe is not only the largest Kindle e-reader to date, it's the first time Amazon has brought precision pen input to the Kindle line.
To be clear, the Scribe is not cheap: It costs more than the Kindle Oasis or an entry-level iPad, starting at $340 with a standard "pen" or $370 with a premium pen and 32GB of storage.
But after using the Scribe for a week, I can say it's mostly an excellent tablet-style e-reader, though there's certainly room for improvement with software and feature updates, particularly on the note-taking side of things.
The first thing you'll notice about the Kindle Scribe is that it's big -- a lot bigger than the Kindle Paperwhite. It kind of looks and feels like a jumbo Kindle Oasis minus the physical page-turn buttons and waterproofing (both the Paperwhite and Oasis are waterproof, with an IPX8 rating).
Read more: Best E-Readers of 2022
Like the Oasis, it has a flush-front design and, according to Amazon, is made of recycled aluminum and is currently the only front-lit 10.2-inch e-reader with a high-resolution 300 pixels-per-inch E ink display. A mere 5.8mm thick (0.22 inch), it weighs in at 433 grams (0.95 pound). For comparison, the Kindle Paperwhite weighs in at 205 grams and the new upgraded baseline Kindle (2022) is 158 grams.
The iPad (2022) weighs a touch over a pound (477 grams), and like the iPad, you can certainly hold the Scribe in your hand, whether it's your left or right hand (the screen flips according to whether you prefer a left- or right-hand orientation). However, you're probably not going to want to do that for long periods. You'll either want to set it down on a table and prop it up at an angle with some object or, ideally, buy a folio cover that converts into a stand.
© Provided by CNET The Kindle Paperwhite (left) and the Kindle Scribe. David Carnoy/CNET
If you buy one of Amazon's covers, which the Scribe adheres to magnetically, it'll cost you an extra $60 for a fabric cover or $80 for a leather version (you can also buy a Scribe and case together with one of the Scribe Essentials bundles that start at $410 and include a premium pen and power adapter). Other third-party cases are available for less (they all tend to have some sort of loop to store the pen). But Amazon's cases are attractive, slim and allow you to prop up the device at a couple of angles. It's also worth noting that the pen adheres magnetically to the side of the Scribe, even if you have a cover on it (the side of the Scribe remains exposed with Amazon cases).
Both the standard stylus and premium pens don't require power or Bluetooth connectivity and use electro-magnetic resonance technology, so you'll never need to worry about charging them. The premium pen has an eraser (you turn the pen over and press the erase button on top of the stylus against the screen just like you would a real pencil eraser) and a programmable button for $30 more.
© Provided by CNET Amazon sells a folio cover for the Scribe that converts into a kickstand. Amazon
The review sample I received included the premium pen, which worked quite smoothly for taking handwritten notes and drawing on the screen. There's virtually no lag and it felt natural -- pretty much like writing on a piece of paper with less friction. There are five pen thicknesses to choose from as well as five thicknesses for the highlighter. Some additional pen styles would be nice, and I did have to be a little careful with how I held the pen because I accidentally hit the programmable button on a few occasions as I was writing or doodling (I write left-handed).
But if you're at all interested in the premium pen, it's best to buy it with the Scribe because it's $60 ($30 more) if you buy it separately. The pen tips are replaceable, Amazon says.
Aside from the 300 ppi display, which shows texts and images with good sharpness, the Kindle Scribe's front-light scheme is composed of 35 LEDs. That compares with 25 LEDs for the Kindle Oasis, 17 LEDs for the Kindle Paperwhite and four LEDs for the 2022 entry-level Kindle. You can adjust the color temperature from a warmer sepia tone to a cooler more bluish one. I generally kept it toward the warmer side, which gives it a more paperlike appearance, and like with other Kindles, for night reading, there's a dark mode that turns the screen black (or actually, very dark gray) with letters and images appearing in white or shades of gray.
The lighting has excellent uniformity to it and the touchscreen is quite responsive with the overall performance for an E Ink e-reader being top-notch despite the inherent laggy nature of E Ink. The Scribe runs on the same Mediatek system on a chip that runs the Paperwhite. It's capable of running up to 2GHz but only does so for certain applications that require higher performance, according to Amazon. As for storage, the base model has 16GB, but 32GB and 64GB configurations are available for more money. The Scribe is Wi-Fi-only Kindle, with no cellular option.
© Provided by CNET The Scribe's to-do list template. David Carnoy/CNET
While the 9.7-inch Kindle DX was discontinued around 10 years ago, the Scribe is its spiritual successor and a great choice for sight-challenged folks looking for a large Kindle that has the ability to display more lines of text at larger font sizes.
In the past, that was the biggest appeal of larger format e-readers (and that their screens wouldn't get washed out in direct sunlight, making them great for studying outdoors). But in recent years we've seen more of these stylus-equipped touchscreen e-readers finding a market with students and other folks looking for a dedicated E Ink device that offers note-taking and annotation capabilities without the distractions found in a feature-packed iPad or Android tablet (and that includes Amazon's own Fire tablets) which offer everything from web browsing to video watching to gaming. The Kindle Scribe, like other Kindles, has a rudimentary web browser, but it seems mainly designed to allow you to enable a Wi-Fi connection in public places like coffee shops and hotels where some web authentication is necessary.
Fellow CNET writer Sarah Lord has used more tablet-style e-readers, but I have tested the Kobo Elipsa, which is arguably the Scribe's most direct competitor and has been on the market for a while. It sells for $360 in a bundle that includes a cover and Kobo stylus. It has a front light, but the big difference is that its display is 227 ppi compared to 300 ppi for the Scribe's display. It's a noticeable difference.
© Provided by CNET My daughter's doodle. David Carnoy/CNET
With the Elipsa, you can mark up Kobo ebooks. However, the one current shortcoming of the Scribe is that you cannot mark up Kindle ebooks or even DRM-free ePub ebooks (non-copy-protected ePub files). With e-books, you have to use Amazon's Sticky-note feature, which is available with other Kindles. You tap and hold on a word, then slide the pen across whatever words or sentences you want to select. Lift the pen and you have the option to create a handwritten or text note, highlight the word or sentence or share it.
Personally, I'm not someone who likes to mark up books and take notes in the margin, so I don't mind the sticky-note functionality, but lots of today's students do mark up their physical school books (my kids certainly do) and it would be nice to have the ability to make notes in the margins and circle sentences and whatnot.
As it stands, you can import a variety of file formats and document types to mark up if you so choose. You can import and write directly on-page in PDF documents (so if you had an e-book as PDF file, it could be marked up) and I found it easy to import PDFs using Amazon's Send-to-Kindle feature where you simply drag a file into a box on the Send-to-Kindle web page and it gets sent your Kindle (there are other options to send files, including via the Kindle app for iOS, Mac and Android as well as via email). It's also easy to export files via email.
Unfortunately, marking up PDFs isn't as seamless or intuitive as it is on other E Ink tablets. When you're in a PDF, you aren't able to adjust the font size or layout, so instead you have to pinch-to-zoom in order to enlarge or reposition the document. That part works well, and it's not too hard to find a level that works best for you. Once you're positioned in your PDF, you can't stay there. With the launch software, the Scribe makes it impossible to maintain your current zoom levels from one page to the next. Instead, you have to zoom all the way out again in order to swipe to the next page, just to reposition it all over again. This can make studying long PDFs cumbersome.
© Provided by CNET You can keep a journal with the Scribe and upload your entries to the cloud (free storage included). Amazon
You can also import and create handwritten sticky notes in Microsoft Word docs (DOCX, DOC), HTML, EPUB, TXT, RTF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP text and graphic files, but not in manga, comics, graphic novels, magazines or newspapers. Like with other recent Kindles, you can listen to Audible audio format (AAX) or text-to-speech audio with Bluetooth headphones or speakers. Additionally, Amazon says it's working with Microsoft to allow you to export a Word doc directly from a computer to your Kindle Scribe within that Word doc. That feature is coming in 2023, Amazon says, along with the ability to sync.
For free note-taking, doodling or creating notebooks and journals, the Scribe has 18 templates to choose from, including six lined options, graphing paper, musical notation and to-do lists. You can organize your notebooks in folders and search by their titles and Amazon says that in early 2023, you'll be able to get access to your notebooks through the Kindle app sync feature on other devices.
However, as my colleague Sarah Lord -- who also spent time with the Scribe -- notes, "All of that is great, but these notebooks lack any smart features. For example, there's no way to insert equations or convert your handwriting to text. Similarly, you don't get any help in drawing shapes or straightening lines. And while you can export your notebooks via email, there's no support for Dropbox or any other third-party service." That may not be a big deal for some folks, but the long and short of it is that serious note-takers might want more.
Lord says she prefers the ReMarkable 2 as a pure note-taking E Ink tablet, but it has its limitations as an e-reader and obviously doesn't include access to Amazon's extensive Kindle eco-system and its massive library of ebooks.
The big question for a lot of people will be whether to buy a Kindle Scribe or perhaps a new iPad or a Samsung Galaxy Tab S, the best Android tablet (or so a lot of people say). While you still have to buy some sort of stylus for an iPad (while Samsung's Galaxy Tab S8 series includes a stylus, iPads don't), it clearly offers a lot more functionality, zippier performance and high-resolution color display (alas, we're still waiting for color E Ink). You can certainly take notes and mark up documents with an iPad -- and also basically use it as a computer, particularly if you link a keyboard to it.
But as I said earlier, the Scribe is for someone looking for a distraction-free device with a specific purpose, and I do think it has some room to grow a bit with software and feature updates, some of which we know are coming in 2023.
Compared to a tablet, it also delivers much better battery life. You can get up to three months of battery life if you just use the Scribe as an e-reader (based on 30 minutes of studying a day), but note-taking draws more energy and cuts battery life down considerably. However, depending on usage, you can still get weeks of battery life while note-taking and doodling. It charges via USB-C -- a cable but no power adapter is included -- and using a 9-watt or higher adapter does speed up charging just like it does with your iPhone or Android smartphone.
The Scribe's size and weight make it more of a burden to carry around, especially when you consider the smaller baseline Kindle can fit into a coat pocket. But in all, the Scribe strikes a very good balance between a large-format e-reader and an E Ink note-taking tablet. Folks will probably have some quibbles about the Scribe's high price and the robustness of its mark-up and note-taking capabilities, but I do expect we'll see the device Strengthen in the coming months.
CNET's Sarah Lord contributed to this review.
© Provided by MUO
Currently, there are many cloud storage apps available on Android, each with slightly differing storage capacity and other additional features. Google Drive and Microsoft's OneDrive are the most notable two in this space.
Both Google Drive and OneDrive come preinstalled on some Android devices—the latter usually comes bundled in Samsung Galaxy devices. So how do the two cloud storage solutions compare against each other on Android? Let’s find out.
One thing that Google Drive has a clear advantage over OneDrive on Android is the ability to back up a device’s configuration and data.
Google Drive lets you back up your apps, account details, device settings, SMS, and call history in a few simple steps if you want to do it manually. Alternatively, Google Drive will automatically back up your device when you’re on Wi-Fi after it’s been idle and charging for two hours. You can access the backed-up data on a new device when setting it up for the first time or if you’ve reset your phone.
OneDrive doesn’t have this seamless automatic backup option available. You have to manually upload the files you want to back up and sort them accordingly. Moreover, you’ll have to find other ways of backing up your SMS, call logs, and general device settings.
If backing up your settings and apps is something you need, then Google Drive would be the better of the two. The same is true if you want your data to be backed-up without you having to remember to do it.
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Most native and third-party file manager apps work seamlessly with Google Drive for obvious reasons—Google is the company behind Android. You can directly access your backed-up files from within your file manager by entering your Google account credentials.
On OneDrive, file manager integration isn’t always a guarantee unless you own a Samsung Galaxy device. OneDrive became the default cloud storage solution on Galaxy devices after Samsung discontinued photo-syncing on Samsung Cloud in 2022.
If your file manager offers integration with one or both of these cloud storage options, access is usually similar. You’ll enter your Google or Microsoft login credentials and immediately gain access to all your files and folders on Google Drive and OneDrive respectively.
Google Drive is the more reliable option in regard to file manager integration. In instances where a file manager supports OneDrive, it’s usually available alongside Google Drive.
You can manually back up photos on both Google Drive and OneDrive, but you’ll need an additional app to automatically sync your gallery. For Google Drive, you'll need Google Photos to manage your gallery. OneDrive has this capability available for Samsung Galaxy devices through Samsung Cloud.
If you own a Samsung Galaxy device, you can consider using OneDrive to sync your photo gallery. Google Drive would also serve you well if you install Google Photos. It’s also worth noting that Google Drive’s free plan comes with three times as much storage as OneDrive’s—15 GB compared to 5 GB.
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OneDrive will take up significantly more space on your device than Google Drive. If you’re hurry on minimizing storage usage by apps, you’d be better off with Google Drive. If you’re on a Samsung Galaxy device, you may be stuck with OneDrive since it comes preinstalled whether you want to use it or not.
File sharing works in the same way on both apps. On Google Drive, you can share a link to specific files or folders with editing or viewing permissions. OneDrive lets you do the same but with an additional security feature. You can password-protect links before sharing them with other people in case they land in the wrong hands.
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Any files you work on in Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides will automatically save in Google Drive. On the other hand, if you use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint online, your files will sync in OneDrive.
You can easily access any of your documents in one place on any platform with either Google Drive or OneDrive. In this case, if you use Google's office apps Google Drive would be the best cloud storage option for you on your phone. If Microsoft Office apps are your daily driver, you’d want to use OneDrive to keep all your files in the same place.
The free plan on Google Drive comes with 15GB worth of storage. OneDrive offers only 5GB. You can upgrade the available cloud storage on both apps with a monthly or annual subscription. OneDrive plans start at $0.99 per month for 50 GB and Google Drive plans start at $1.99 per month for 100 GB storage at the time of this writing. If you’re willing to pay for additional storage, there isn't much difference in their pricing.
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The two apps have similar additional features which are quite useful—document scanning and a PDF reader.
Scanning documents using Google Drive is easy and may save you the need of downloading dedicated scanner apps. OneDrive’s scanning tool is also easy to use: simply launch the app and tap the camera icon to start scanning your documents, then play around with the available scan settings.
The inbuilt PDF reader on both OneDrive and Google Drive will be automatically triggered whenever you open a PDF document. The PDF readers are almost identical, but OneDrive has a slight edge with its ability to annotate PDF files.
OneDrive has one extra feature that is absent from Google Drive: a personal vault to secure sensitive files. You’ll need a password or biometrics to access files in this folder. Setting up OneDrive’s Personal Vault is quick and is available on all platforms.
Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive are both great options, but the former has clear advantages over the latter. OneDrive falls short in the automatic device backup department and the fact that the free plan only offers a third of the storage capacity Google Drive offers.
Also, Google Drive would ensure you get everything in order including your apps and call history when you get a new device.
OneDrive only has an edge over Google Drive with the ability to annotate PDF files, and the personal vault to secure sensitive files. Both apps work across all other major platforms, including iOS, Windows, and the web.
If you already have an account please use the link below to sign in.
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The Illinois research goes further than copy and paste. It also demonstrates a new way to attack PDF documents and use hidden fingerprints to reveal names that have been redacted. The team focused on names, Bland says, as they are commonly redacted and sensitive. It does not appear possible to unredact large blocks of text, the researchers say. To reveal people’s names, the team built a tool, dubbed Edact-Ray, that can “identify, break, and fix redaction information leaks.”
“Even if you do the redaction, supposedly correctly, even if you remove the text, there’s a lot of latent information that is dependent on the content that was redacted, and even that can leak information,” Levchenko says. “If you redact a name in a PDF, if the attacker has any context—they know this is an American—they will be able to, with high probability, either recover that name or narrow it down to a very small list of candidates.”
Edact-Ray focuses on the size of glyphs (broadly, characters or letters) and their positioning. “It’s pretty clear to a lot of people that the letter ‘L’ is skinnier than a letter ‘M,’ and that if you redacted just the letter ‘L,’ then you might be able to tell it is different from a redaction with just the letter ‘M,’” Bland says. The tool is essentially able to automatically compare the size of the redaction and the position of the letters with a predefined “dictionary” of words to estimate what has been replaced.
The software is constructed by inferring how the original document was produced—for instance, in Microsoft Word—and then reverse engineering the specifics of the document. “That tells us about how the text was laid out,” Levchenko says. “Once we know that, we have a model for how that tool laid out the text and how and what information it deposited throughout the rest of the document.” From here, it is ultimately possible to simulate what the original text may have been and produce a series of potential, or likely, matches. During testing, the team was able to eliminate 80,000 guesses per second.
“We found, for example, that redacting a surname from a PDF generated by Microsoft Word set using 10-point Calibri leaves enough residual information to uniquely identify the name in 14 percent of all cases,” the team’s research paper concludes, adding that this is likely to be a “lower bound on the extent of vulnerable redactions.”
Daniel Lopresti, a professor of computer science at Lehigh University who has studied redaction techniques, says the research is impressive. It “presents a comprehensive study of redaction tools and the ways in which they can be broken, including exploiting nearly invisible aspects of a document’s typography,” says Lopresti, who was not involved with the research. “The picture it paints is scary; too often redaction is done badly.”
The vast majority of the organizations impacted by real-world redaction failures highlighted in the research—including the US Department of Justice, the US courts system, the Office of Inspector General, and Adobe—did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment. Bland and the research paper say that many of the organizations have engaged with the team’s research.
